Jason Terry saw himself in a Celtics uniform

Posted By
Paul Flannery
On
July 14, 2012 @ 1:23 pm
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General |
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WALTHAM — With his Mavericks out of the playoffs early, Jason Terry[1] had time on his hands to watch the rest of the postseason unfold. Watching the Celtics[2] come up one game short in the conference finals against Miami, he had a vision.

“God willing it happened, and it will happen pretty soon,” Terry soon.

It hasn’t happened just yet because the Celtics are still trying to put all the pieces in place. Team president Danny Ainge is trying to acquire another guard to complement a new-look backcourt that will feature Rajon Rondo[3], Avery Bradley[4] and Terry. If Ainge can pull off a sign-and-trade agreement with the Mavericks, then he’d be able to use the mid-level exception on another player. If not, Terry will get the MLE and he’ll be forced to try elsewhere.

Either way, the Celtics made acquiring the former Sixth Man of the Year one of their top priorities and Terry couldn’t help but smile when he received a phone call from Doc Rivers[5] just after midnight on July 1.

“He was the first one to call and I’m just excited about being a part of the Celtics organization, the franchise the heritage, the tradition,” Terry said. “Just putting that jersey on, what KG, Paul Pierce[6] and Rondo have done in the present, just being a part of that.”

Terry is a needed jolt of instant offense for a crew that ranked 25th in points per possession. A starter for most of his first eight season, Terry moved to the bench with the Mavs and is one of the few players who handled the transition seamlessly, averaging better than 17 points per 36 minutes in each of his last seven seasons.

A career 38 percent 3-point shooter, Terry is also capable of creating shots off the dribble, particularly in the mid-range area. He’s also able to handle some point guard minutes, which will be a welcome relief for Rondo.

“If they need me to wash the uniforms or sweep the floors, whatever role Doc wants me to play I’m here to do it at 100 percent and give my all,” Terry said. “That’s what I’ve done my whole career and pretty much whatever it takes to win. Whatever puts us in the best position to win these games and win a championship is what I’ll be doing.”